Baali (World of Darkness)
The Baali are a fictional bloodline of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games. The Baali are a bloodline of vampires associated with demon worship. Much of the Baali symbolism is Mesopotamian and Phoenician in origin. The very name Baali is originated from the Phoenician word Ba'al, meaning "great lord". Some versions present the true purpose of the Baali as keeping demons sleeping by feeding them with carnage and destruction. Most presentations show them as Infernalists, using demon worship to gain additional power.Skoog, Sven, et. all, Clanbook: Baali (White Wolf Game Studio, 1998, ISBN 1-56504-212-3)Justin Achilli et al., Vampire: The Masquerade (Revised Edition) (White Wolf Game Studio, 1998, ISBN 1-56504-249-2) They have a somewhat complex heritage, appearing at times as a bloodline and at times as a clan. There is some indication that they may be a bloodline of the Salubri, but their origin may also be as descendants of the Gangrel line. Additionally, they recruit vampires from other clans to become Baali, further confusing the issue.Vampire: The Masquerade Storytellers Companion, White Wolf Publishing; Package edition, December 1998 Historically the Assamites, Followers of Set, and Salubri have fought wars against the Baali. The Salubri and Assamites in particular have a deep seated hatred for the Baali. The Assamite warriors' current blood addiction can be traced to a curse leveled by the Baali. In the modern era, the Baali are in decline, having been hunted to near extinction by both the Camarilla and Sabbat. The Baali practice the unique Daimoinon discipline. Additionally, many practiced Dark Thaumaturgy, a name given to Thaumaturgy learned from demons. History Origins The Baali are infernalists who once dealt in the names of ancient beings that existed before God created the world (as simply knowing the names of such powerful beings can give one access to some of that power). Baali legend says there was a group of people called the "First Tribe" who discovered the existence of those old ones and became their acolytes. They were degenerates, who murdered their parents and raped their children, and collected their victim's corpses into deep wells or pits. One day, an unknown vampires (speculated to be either Saulot - the antediluvian father of the Salubri - or Ashur - the founder of the Cappadocians) - encountered the "First Tribe" and killed them before burying "First Tribe" in their own pits and spreading drops of their blood over the "First Tribe"'s corpses. Only three (Nergal, Moloch, and a third unknown individual sometimes said to be "The Crone") crawled out of the pit, and thus the vampiric bloodline Baali was created. An alternative story of the bloodline speaks of a single progenitor, called Shaitan, who was in life a slave-boy with a beautiful singing voice who attracted the attention of an unknown vampire. This version of their creation does not explain the origin of the corpse-pit embracing ritual the bloodline is often known for. Additionally, Shaitan is known to be a false name of the before mentioned Nergal. Dark ages The Baali became so numerous during the Dark Ages that they were widely considered to be a clan. They also garnered many enemies among the greater clans, particularly the Assamites and Salubri. It is after one such battle between the Assamites and Baali, that the Baali managed to enact a blood-curse on the entire Assamite tribe making every last one addicted to vampiric vitae. However, despite the many wars fought the Baali were often the losers and their numbers dwindled. Many Baali during this time imitated their legendary creation by embracing mortals in a similar fashion. That is, to create a new vampire, a Baali sire-to-be will drain all the blood out of a target mortal and throw his body into a pit of corpses, then the vampire will spill some of his own vampiric blood into the pit. Only the strong-willed who drink the blood will survive and become Baali. This practice is very different from that of other vampires; the Baali childer are not turned into vampires by their sires, but they become vampires on their own. In the modern era, this practice has been largely abandoned, due to the difficulty of procuring the number of corpses required without attracting the attention of law enforcement. Rumors also speak of the Baali ability to "re-embrace" existing vampires, converting them to the Baali cause. Final nights In the modern era, the Baali are in decline, having been hunted to near extinction by both the Camarilla and Sabbat. Those who remain are divided into two camps: Baali who simply crave power and are willing to deal with infernal entities to get it, and Baali who actively attempt to pacify the dark beings whose names they once used to give them power. Gehenna At least one scenario in the Gehenna companion book treats Saulot's creation of the Baali as fact. However, as Gehenna offers many conflicting end-game scenarios (including a few where the Baali have their own 3rd generation founder) it is not canon.Shomshak, Dean, et al., Gehenna '', White Wolf Publishing; Package edition, 2004. Minor bloodlines Members of Clan Baali are often among the most varied of the Kindred. Significant differences can be found centering on ideals and the demon masters specific groups worship. One such sect of Baali are particularly vile and worship "The Swarm." These individuals form "Brood Mothers" who host ghoul-like insects within their bodies. Though these varying sects often display unique powers they aren't often considered unique bloodlines of the clan, however. (It should be noted that the now ret-conned ''The Chaos Factor divided these sects into 13 separate and unique bloodlines). Azaneali One significant historical bloodline of the Baali are called Azaneali; the result of a pact between a Baali named Azaneal and infernalist Lasombra (angellis ater). Azaneal sought to find the lost city of Mashkan-shapir said to be built over an ancient demonic entity named Namtaru. The Azaneali may replace either Daimoinon or Presence with the Obtenebration discipline. Only twelve such Baali were sired, and they carried the additional weakness of being sterile. It is uncertain if any survived into the modern era.Skoog, Sven, et al., Clanbook: Baali, White Wolf Inc. 1998 Version differences In 1st and 2nd editions of Vampire: The Masquerade, the Ba'ali bloodline were descended from the Methuselah Shaitan who was embraced in the Second City sometime around 4500 BC by Ashur. Ashur is generally considered to be Cappadocius, but The Chaos Factor source-book suggests it was the Gangrel antediluvian. This history claims that of all of Ashur's childer, only the one named Gangrel could not be counted among the Ba'ali and thus the bloodline was originally the majority of the elder's clan. However, many elements of The Chaos Factor were retconned in later editions of the game, since it was considered by fans to be an unpopular source-book that promoted unwarranted crossovers, like Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand.Justin Achilli et al., Vampire: The Masquerade (White Wolf Game Studio, 1998, ISBN 1-56504-249-2) The early Vampire: The Dark Ages books presented a more complex history, where the Baali were allegedly descended either from the Salubri or Cappadocians, and acted to keep "The Children" (either demons, Earthbound or the Yozi) asleep by appeasing them with sacrifices and chaos.Vampire: Dark Ages, White Wolf Publishing; Package edition, December 1998 Later Vampire: The Masquerade supplements, such as The Storyteller's Handbook, shy away from firm details and present an enigmatic story of "dalliance with a low-born singing slave-boy." Gehenna treats Saulot's creation of the Baali as fact in at least one scenario.Vampire: The Masquerade Storytellers Companion, White Wolf Publishing; Package edition, December 1998 Vampire: The Eternal Struggle The Baali also appear as a bloodline in the card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.http://www.white-wolf.com/vtes/index.php?line=Checklist_Bloodlines Background The first Baali is rumored to have forged an unholy pact with those who dwelt in the shadow outside the periphery of this world. In doing so, the devil-child took on something of the place Beyond, becoming something more - and less - than human. The Baali are explorers, first and foremost - students of the unknown, the unknowable, the unspeakable. They toil for the erosion and eventual destruction of this world, to make way for "Those Who Wait Beyond."http://www.white-wolf.com/vtes/blbaa.html Strategy The Baali cards mix well with the Followers of Set. Since the Baali vampires are all identified as "infernal", they are expensive to play in a single-clan crypt (with duplicates, since their numbers are so few), but it could be done. New terms Infernal For cards marked as "infernal," during his or her untap phase, a Methuselah who controls an infernal minion burns one pool or taps that infernal minion. Category:Vampire: The Masquerade characters Category:Fictional vampire types Category:Fictional families Category:1998 introductions